DePauw and Wabash renew Monon Bell rivalry
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — In a world where fans across the country spend this time of year saying “my rivalry is better than yours”, there’s one college football game in which the schools may be small, but they play for a prize that’s literally the biggest one of all.
“It’s about 400 pounds,” Scott Feller, president of Wabash College, said of the legendary Monon Bell.
The bell is the prize for the winner of the annual football battle between Wabash and DePauw University. It was donated in 1932 by the Monon Railway, the company that connected the schools in Crawfordsville and Greencastle with 30 miles of railroad track. “It feels like a family feud,” said Lori White, DePauw president.
1890 was when the schools first met on the gridiron, one year before the first IU-Purdue football game. The smack talk on social media of the day – the newspapers – was hot for its time. DePauw and Wabash meet for the 130th time this year, making it the oldest college football rivalry west of the Allegheny Mountains.
“These are two schools that have incredibly loyal alumni bases. And those alumni turn out every year for bragging rights,” Feller said, referring not only to the live crowd but also watch parties held by graduates of both schools across the country.
On the field, Wabash has 63 wins. DePauw 57. There have been 9 ties. The Tigers have a two-game win streak, including last year’s 33-30 double overtime thriller. Just like last year, this weekend’s game is about more than ringing an old train bell at the end.
“(It’s) for all the marbles. It is for the conference championship. It is for the automatic qualifier for the playoffs. Both teams are undefeated in league play. And of course, it’s for the bell,” said White.
Almost as exciting as the action on the field and certain more illegal are the shenanigans off the field. There have been numerous attempts by the school not in possession of the Monon Bell to steal it before the game.
The latest attempt was from Wabash students who apparently forgot about the existence of security cameras – or just didn’t care seven years ago. They were caught and prosecuted, and these days, DePauw’s President says they’ve got some bigger, better bell bolts. “It’s literally is locked down on a platform, and it would be darn near impossible to steal the bell.”
So, which school will literally ring in the holiday season with a victory? Not shockingly, the presidents of the schools are not going rogue.
“I’ve got a friend here on campus who watches every Wabash football game,” Feller said. “His name is Jimmy Hafner. When I asked Jimmy about how its going to turn out, he said Wabash just needs to win by one. So, I’m going to use the Jimmy Hafner line, I’ll say 28-27, Little Giants.”
I told President White about President Feller’s pick. “We average more than 28 points a game, and so that alone means we’re going to score at least 40 points and DePauw’s going to win the game.”
If you can’t get a ticket to the game at DePauw’s Blackstock Stadium, there are several watch parties taking place, including one in the stadium’s parking lot on the DePauw campus. Kickoff for the game is at 1:07 p.m. Saturday.